Wednesday, July 17, 2013

From the Folks Over at Pop Matters. One question. Does this list crack you up or what? Isn't it good when film is able to take a serious look at itself?

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I Think the list left a few good ones off, however.

"The Player"

"Bowfinger"

"Get Shorty"

"Sunset Boulevard"

"Hugo"

"Hollywood Shuffle"

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"Top Ten Movies About Movies of All Time

By Bill Gibron

We love them. Obsess over them. Rant when they don’t work and get even angrier when they insult our intelligence or expectations. From the moment turn of the century audiences cringed at the sight of a locomotive coming straight at them, the movies have meant more to us than, perhaps, any other medium (settle down, TV—and you too, music). We adopt their dialogue, follow their mandates on fashion and fame. We enjoy the looks into lifestyles we could never envision for ourselves while eagerly tweaking emotions (anger, fear, laughter, sorrow) that we normally try to avoid. So it makes sense that, eventually artists involved in the craft would want to explore the meaning of movies. Take them apart. Reference and homage them. Perhaps, even go so far as add commentary on their creation. This movies about the movies become a Bible of sorts, a window into a world that, without filter, comes to mean so much to us.

Let’s clarify the category before we go any further, however. Yes, most of the movies will feature movies in them. Yes, we have also included movies that comment on the movies themselves without going into specific examples. It’s a mess, we know. After all, a film like Hitchcock actually tackles some of the issues that came from the making of Psycho. But when viewed within its core intention, it’s really an exploration of the Master of Suspense’s relationship with his wife Alma. On the other hand, Tropic Thunder may center on the making of a big dumb military drama, but it’s really more a comedy of ill-mannered movie stars in over their heads. We’ve tried to parse through the complicated differences and have come up with a list of 10 that we can be proud of. Sure, there are a few MIA entries (Silent Movie, CQ) that should, perhaps, be included. Overall, however, this list offers up one particular point of view.

!0 "Gods and Monsters"

Back in 1998, few in film were willing to back a movie which made most of its points off the latent homosexuality of Bride of Frankenstein director James Whale. But Bill Condon bravely stood his ground, giving us a peek at how important gay talent was in the glory days of early cinema. Sir Ian McKellen, long before Lord of the Rings and X-Men, gave a stellar performance as the British auteur who came up from humble beginnings only to struggle with his personal life his whole career. Intercutting reenactments from Bride, we learn how life really does imitates art, and visa versa.

9 "Purple Rose of Cairo"

In one of his rare early films in which he did not appear, American treasure Woody Allen deconstructed film and our fascination with same by telling the tale of a meek housewife (then muse Mia Farrow) who uses cinema as an escape. Once there, she learns that the line between fantasy and reality can be as blurry as an out of focus process shot. Eventually, a rugged actor (Jeff Daniels) literally walks off the screen to make all her dreary dreams come true. What happens next is an inventive free for all that questions the very make-up of movies, as well as our desire to lose ourselves in them.

8 "Forgotten Silver"

One of the best mockumentaries of all time, this collaboration between Peter Jackson (yes, THAT Peter Jackson) and Costa Botes purports to tell the story of New Zealand film legend Colin McKenzie and the many accidental innovations he added to the art form. Mixing interview footage with “clips” from said forgotten “films,” we get a wonderful, weird glimpse into how artists view their medium, as well as how we re-imagine the past to fit the future. While some may see it as a minor moment in Jackson’s career, it explains his love of movies more than any big budget Middle Earth epic.

7 "Shadow of the Vampire"

This movie has one of the most original premises of all time: specifically, that when F. W. Murnau (John Malkovich) made Nosferatu in 1921, he used an actual vampire (Willem Dafoe) to bring a sense of real horror to his fright film. Yes, in this fictionalized account of the filming, the director determines that the only way to add authenticity to his craft is to bring a real neckbiter to the ball. While flawed a bit in execution, this fascination film makes the case for what is fact and what it truly fiction. From the audiences perspective, Max Schreck seemed to be a monster. Maybe, he really was.

6 "Ed Wood"

Tim Burton has always championed the outsider, and who was more of an outcast in his time than the kooky cross-dressing director of the film’s title? Part whimsical revisionism (Wood, as essayed by Johnny Depp, is portrayed as a bumbling dreamer when he was, in actually, a troubled alcoholic), part celebrity portrait (Martin Landau’s riveting turns as a dying, drug-addled Bela Lugosi), this amazing monochrome love letter illustrates the cut rate filmmaking that became Wood’s signature. It also highlighted the hopes dashed, and the chew ‘em up and spit ‘em out spirit of ‘50s era Hollywood.

5 "Be Kind, Rewind"

We know, we know, this will be a very controversial choice indeed. Many will wonder why a film about video store slackers recreating movies for their devastated inventory would warrant placement here, let alone such a high ranking. Well, the answer is quite simple - this is the greatest statement about the collective cultural consciousness that resulted from the invention of the VCR ever made (may be the only one, for that matter). In fact, the entire approach to the film—fans “remembering” the movies and making them from memory—indicates the impact of home video clearer than any critical deconstruction or scholarly overview. So there.

4 "Singing in the Rain"

The best movie musical of all time and a telling indictment of the moment cinema adopted sound. On the surface, we have the simple story of a leading man (the amazing Gene Kelly) who must learn the ropes of an entirely new technology while his usual co-star (the equally magnificent Jean Hagen) has “voice issues” of her own. Enter the country gal (Debbie Reynolds) who can sing and dance with the best of them, and watch as The Artist cribs most of this movie for its post-millennial Oscar win. Almost cruel in how it treats the conversion to talkies, it’s the songs that carry us through the carnage.

3 "Baadasssss!"

light up there with the documentary How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It) , this look at Melvin Van Peebles and the start of the blaxploitation movement is a monumental achievement for both father and son. Yes, Mario saddled up to play his influential dad, describing in definitive biopic style how the making of Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song both redefined and almost destroyed his career. Highlighting the horrors faced by black filmmakers in the volatile 1960s,we get the standard making-of material, along with more probing, personal angles which explain why Van Peebles as his movie are so important.

2 "Barton Fink"

Leave it to the Coens to create the kind of motion picture mindfuck that leaves you questioning reality while illustrating the dangers of “selling out, Hollywood style”. Our hero (John Tuturro) is a faux East Coast intellectual who heads over the bright lights of Tinseltown to make some quick cash. What he discovers is a den of thieves. Some (like mogul Jack Lipnick - Michael Lerner) just want to steal his talent. Others, like gruff ‘insurance salesman’ Charlie Meadows (John Goodman) may actually want his soul. A harrowing portrait of what happens when you stop being true to yourself, this is a masterpiece of cinematic shadows and fog.

1 "Day for Night"

Perhaps the most telling movie about a movie, and about the movies in general, ever made. As one of the architects of the French New Waves, Francois Truffaut was always looking for ways to twist the art form into both a commentary and critique on what we expect a motion picture to be. Going even more ‘meta,’ he uses a film set and the behinds the scenes intricacies of same to blur the lines between art and artifice. While his previous films simply played with the foundations of the medium, Day for Night actually lifts the veil off the process, and in doing so, illustrates is magic, maniacal facets. Sheer genius.

Ok. Ok. I get it. You guys were paid off to compile this list. How the heck could you not include the Miccosukees? Do you guys have any idea how much money I won down there in the swamps? And the original Seminole Casino, right across the street from the Hard Rock? Same thing. Tons of money I won. Tons. And lost. More lost than won. Groan.

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Best Casinos in South Florida (CBS MIAMI Channel 4)

Whether you’re a high-roller or an occasional gambler looking to turn $10 into $20, South Florida has several table games, no-limit poker and, yes, the good old fashioned one-armed bandits. Some casinos even offer free drinks as long as you’re gambling. Here’s a list of places where you can get your game on:

Seminole Hard Rock Casino

www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com

Features one of the largest gaming floors in the city with 2,500 slots and 89 table games including blackjack, baccarat, pai gow poker and Texas Hold’em poker. The casino also offers free drinks for those playing at the slots or table games, but it may take a while. The servers are usually inundated with requests and they’ll usually turn up when you’re down to your last dollar. The Seminole Tribe casinos have been around for years, but the slots were once limited to two types of slots. Now, the Seminole empire has grown to include the Hard Rock Cafe name brand and Las Vegas-style casinos.

The Village at Gulfstream Park

www.thevillageatgulfstreampark.com

Gulfstream offers thoroughbred horse racing every year from January through April. The big draw is the $750,000 Florida Derby that takes place in May. Gulfstream Park also features Las Vegas-style slot machines and 20 poker tables. The casino offers a wide variety of promotions and offers a players club card that can be redeemed for more free play or merchandise. Once you hit the jackpot, there are a number of places to spend those winnings including a variety of bars, restaurants and shops where you can purchase anything from flip-flops to high-end jeans.

Magic City Casino

www.flaglerdogs.com/slotgames.html

Inside the Miami casino, gamers can select from one of 800 Las Vegas style slot machines and offers greyhound racing and a poker room. Visitors can also dine at the Big Mouth Café or the Tres Hermanos Bar & Lounge. This is the site of the former Flagler Dog track, but now features high-end entertainment. The casino also features an amphitheater where well-known artists including Jon Secada, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and Air Supply have performed.

Mardi Gras Casino
www.playmardigras.com

Just as the name suggests, Mardi Gras is a New Orleans themed casino that features 1,100 slot machines, poker tables and virtual blackjack. It also offers live greyhound racing and simulcast races. For food lovers, the casino also houses The French Quarter Bar & Restaurant that serves up traditional Cajun dishes and traditional prime rib buffet. The casino offers daily promotions including a shot at winning everything from a barbecue grill to a flat screen TV.

Calder Casino & Race Course

www.calderracecourse.com

Calder Casino and Racetrack has a variety of games from thousands of new and traditional slot machines to thoroughbred racing. It features 1,200 slot machines, three restaurants, electronic blackjack. The company that owns it is Churchill Downs best known for hosting the Kentucky Derby. The casino also features a reward card that allows players the ability to collect points and exchange those points for merchandise and even cash for slot machines.

All or Nothing

Editorial Reviews of All or Nothing

New York Times--". . . a cartographer of autodegradation . . . Like Dostoyevsky, Allen colorfully evokes the gambling milieu — the chained (mis)fortunes of the players, their vanities and grotesqueries, their quasi-philosophical ruminations on chance. Like Burroughs, he is a dispassionate chronicler of the addict’s daily ritual, neither glorifying nor vilifying the matter at hand."

Florida Book Review--". . . Allen examines the flaming abyss compulsive gambling burns in its victims’ guts, self-esteem and bank accounts, the desperate, myopic immediacy it incites, the self-destructive need it feeds on, the families and relationships it destroys. For with gamblers, it really is all or nothing. Usually nothing. Take it from a reviewer who’s been there. Allen is right on the money here."

Foreword Magazine--"Not shame, not assault, not even murder is enough reason to stop. Allen’s second novel, All or Nothing, is funny, relentless, haunting, and highly readable. P’s inner dialogues illuminate the grubby tragedy of addiction, and his actions speak for the train wreck that is gambling."

Library Journal--"Told without preaching or moralizing, the facts of P's life express volumes on the destructive power of gambling. This is strongly recommended and deserves a wide audience; an excellent choice for book discussion groups."—Lisa Rohrbaugh, East Palestine Memorial P.L., OH

LEXIS-NEXIS--"By day, P drives a school bus in Miami. But his vocation? He's a gambler who craves every opportunity to steal a few hours to play the numbers, the lottery, at the Indian casinos. Allen has a narrative voice as compelling as feeding the slots is to P." Betsy Willeford is a Miami-based freelance book reviewer. November 4, 2007

Publisher’s Weekly--"Allen’s dark and insightful novel depicts narrator P’s sobering descent into his gambling addiction . . . The well-written novel takes the reader on a chaotic ride as P chases, finds and loses fast, easy money. Allen (Churchboys and Other Sinners) reveals how addiction annihilates its victims and shows that winning isn’t always so different from losing."

Kirkus Review--"We gamble to gamble. We play to play. We don't play to win." Right there, P, desperado narrator of this crash-'n'-burn novella, sums up the madness. A black man in Miami, P has graduated from youthful nonchalance (a '79 Buick Electra 225) to married-with-a-kid pseudo-stability, driving a school bus in the shadow of the Biltmore. He lives large enough to afford two wide-screen TVs, but the wife wants more. Or so he rationalizes, as he hits the open-all-night Indian casinos, "controlling" his jones with a daily ATM maximum of $1,000. Low enough to rob the family piggy bank for slot-machine fodder, he sinks yet further, praying that his allergic 11-year-old eat forbidden strawberries—which will send him into a coma, from which he'll emerge with the winning formula for Cash 3 (the kid's supposedly psychic when he's sick). All street smarts and inside skinny, the book gives readers a contact high that zooms to full rush when P scores $160,000 on one lucky machine ("God is the God of Ping-ping," he exults, as the coins flood out). The loot's enough to make the small-timer turn pro, as he heads, flush, to Vegas to cash in. But in Sin City, karmic payback awaits. Swanky hookers, underworld "professors" deeply schooled in sure-fire systems to beat the house, manic trips to the CashMyCheck store for funds to fuel the ferocious need—Allen's brilliant at conveying the hothouse atmosphere of hell-bent gaming. Fun time in the Inferno.

World Series of Poker

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At Books and Books

Me And Vicki at Our Reading

Bio

Preston L. Allen is the recipient of a State of Florida Individual Artist Fellowship in Literature and the Sonja H. Stone Prize in Fiction for his short story collection Churchboys and Other Sinners (Carolina Wren Press 2003). His works have appeared in numerous publications including The Seattle Review, The Crab Orchard Review, Asili, Drum Voices, and Gulfstream Magazine; and he has been anthologized in Here We Are: An Anthology of South Florida Writers, Brown Sugar: A Collection of Erotic Black Fiction, Miami Noir, and the forthcoming Las Vegas Noir. His fourth novel, All Or Nothing, chronicles the life of a small-time gambler who finally hits it big. Preston Allen teaches English and Creative Writing in Miami, Florida.

Moi

Andrea Cantillo

Jane Margolis

The Krypton Kid

Click Here to Purchase No Rgerets, Coyote.

"No Regrets, Coyote is a very cool ride. If Raymond Chandler was reincarnated as a novelist in South Florida, he couldn't nail it any better than John Dusfrene.”--Carl Hiaasen

“John Dufresne has turned his considerable artistic gifts to the crime novel, and the result, No Regrets, Coyote, is touching, nervy, richly detailed, and populated with a cast of characters who are utterly unique and terrifyingly real. Its humor is abundant and warm-hearted, and its detective hero is unlike any we've ever met before. American crime fiction has just gotten a lot more interesting.”--James W. Hall

“No Regrets, Coyote is a novel so good you want to throw a party for it. It’s tense, unnerving, fearless, and funny as hell. Beautifully rendered on every page, it may be a crime novel in name but it’s literature for the ages.”--Dennis Lehane

Click here to Purchase Every Boy Should Have a Man

Pick Up a Copy of My New Book

Every Boy Should Have a Man

What they are saying about "Every Boy Should Have a Man"

In "Every Boy Should Have a Man", Preston L. Allen's prose plants a storyteller in your head, and all you have to do is pull up close to the fire, ignore the rustling in the darkness behind you, and listen as he paints the world from the point of view of the 'other'. And what a view it is. This folk-tale/fantasy/myth/cautionary tale opens doors and windows into parts of your conscience you probably forgot were there. This is the bedtime story you read to your grown children (or they read to you). What's it about? At once as familiar as that stuffed bear you slept with, and as strange as another planet, this tale cannot/should not be summarized. It must be read. I started it one evening, reading until sleep took over, then finished it the next day, and was left with a growing warmth in my chest - a mixture of contentedness and sadness, reading the Apocrypha that follows the main story for bits and pieces to keep it going. You must read this book. I know I'll return to it again (and again). I know I will be pushing it into the hands of my reading friends. Read this book.(Sergio, from Amazon)

Do Gamblers Whore Around Much? (See December 29, 2007 Blog)

Gamblers Anonymous

Did you just say . . . contact Preston at PrestonTHEWRITERallen@gmail.com?

I"m No Gambling Counselor

I'm just a novelist. But I'd love to hear from you. Go ahead. Email me. Let's talk about gambling, big wins, even bigger losses, books, agents, editors, book tours, book deals, film deals. The St. Louis Rams. Chess. Steroidal baseball players. I'm older now. I know a lot about everything, and what I don't know about I can find out from my sage-like friends. By the way, if I were still a gambler, I would have made a serious mint with the lucky numbers that I post on this page--they keep hitting--the most recent hit is 979, which came in on December 15. Dang!

And don't be afraid to buy my book, ALL OR NOTHING (Akashic books, $14.95). It's a great book, my break through novel they are calling it. You will love it--so say the Kirkus Review, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Lexis-Nexis, and the rest of 'em. It is my gift to the world. I wanted you to have a fun read, but with a serious message--with the emphasis on FUN. You will love P--he's a sick, degenerate gambler, but he always leaves you with a smile.

Florida Lottery Results

George W. Bush (December 12, 2007 Blog)

Yes, it does.

1-888-Admit It

Call 1-888-Admit it if you or someone you know has a gambling addiction.

Problem gambling is characterized by many difficulties in limiting money and/or time spent on gambling, which leads to adverse consequences for the gambler, others, or for the community.

Procrastination Is the Thief of Time

The Great Oscar Peterson R.I.P.

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Shout Outs!

George W. Bush! Thanks for being honest about your addiction.

Michael Vick! Hang in there, brother. Killing dogs is not a humane thing to do—prison is perhaps too harsh a way to learn that lesson. But hang in there, learn your lesson, come out strong and hungry—you’ll be on top again soon.

Alex Trebek! Hang in there, Alex! We luv ya. The answer is: these two will keep you alive even when your body fails. The question is: What are Faith and Courage?

David Beckham! All right now, baby daddy. You go, boy. You’re breeding like a rabbit. But that’s okay, go ahead and bring another little Pele or Johan Cruyff into the world. What am I saying . . . bring another little David Beckham into the world.

Nicole Richie! You're going to be a mom. Cut the crap, now. Make us proud. We luv ya.

Tom Brady! You’ve got some balls on you, kid. In my heart, I thought the Steelers D would eat you alive, but you hung in there, and before I knew it, the Steel Curtain was looking at a 21-point butt wooping.

New England Patriots! I still have not forgiven you guys for stealing that Super Bowl from my beloved Rams—but you are a team of destiny. Go get your16-and-Oh, boys! Record books are made to be re-written.

Ike Turner! You still groove, brother. You and Tina were the Bomb! Rest in Peace, music man.

Oscar Peterson! A musical giant. He was a friend of my late piano teacher, jazz piano man Samuel Adolphus (AKA Lord Doc), who said of Oscar Peterson: "He had the fastest fingers in music. He was an improvisational genius without peer. He never played a song the same way twice." Rest in Peace, music man.

Ike turner, In Pace Requiescat (Rest in Peace)

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Sexy

Just Before the Christmas Party, December 2007

Preston L. Allen called into the boss's office to discuss retirement options after his novel sells its millionth copy.

reading

A Reading of All or Nothing

emails

The oBLOGation

According to Author's Den: "He cut his teeth on the classics of the golden age of science fiction, the lurid bestselling thrillers of the sixties and seventies, and the Holy Bible (King James Version). He grows up to pen fiction that rages with truth and insight--a master of erotica, thrillers, romance, noir, Preston L. Allen is America's writer. So let it be written, so let it be read."

Reviews of All or Nothing

Maggie Estep, Flamethrower--"By turns harrowing, illuminating, and endearing, Preston Allen's All or Nothing is more than a gut punch, it's a damn good book."

Gonzalo Barr, The Last Flight of Jose Luis Balboa--"All or Nothing is a breathless tour through the mind of P, a gambling junkie who divines lucky numbers everywhere, even in the mumblings of his severely asthmatic son as he comes out of anaphylactic shock. Winning the bet is the only thing. And money has little value except as a means to place the next one. Preston Allen's writing is as tight as a high wire. Out of the hyperkitsch world of gamblers and the casinos they inhabit, Allen creates a novel that is frightening and sad and thrilling."

John Dufresne, author of Johnny Too Bad--"Allen has done for gambling what William S. Burroughs did for narcotic addiction. He's gotten into the heart of the darkness and shown us what it feels like to be trapped, to be haunted, to live without choice. Allen is relentless and unsparing in his depiction of the life of a gambling addict, from the magical thinking to the visceral thrill of risking it all. And now the world will know what we in Miami have known for a long time: Preston L. Allen is so good a writer it's scary."

World Poker Tour

Soon to Be Released

I Have a Good Feeling About This Book--I'm Going to Buy It As Soon As It Comes Out

Hats and Eye Glasses: Book Review

Advance Copy review:

Well, I was right when I said that I would love this book. I read it last night and I highly recommend it.

Martha Frankel writes with warmth, wit, and intelligence about the double life we live as addicted gamblers. Nobody knows how deep we are into it, how much money we have lost, how much money we continue to lose, or the lengths we will go to continue getting our gambling “fix”—not even those who are closest to us. On the one hand, we are the successful interviewer of big-name celebrities, the happy wife of the perfect husband, the good friend, the dutiful daughter to the ailing mother. Life couldn’t be any better, or so it seems. On the other hand, we are maxing out our credit cards, blowing thousands of dollars to chase the enormous sums of money we have already lost because of our addiction to online poker.

Set in gambling dens in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, the Bahamas, South Florida, and various parts of California, Hats and Eyeglasses traces the path of Martha Frankel’s addiction from its beginnings at the friendly Wednesday night poker games, to the high-stakes tables at the Vegas casinos, to her devil-may-care online risk taking.

This may sound like familiar territory, but don’t be fooled. This one will be hard to put down. What sets Hats and Eyeglasses apart from others in this genre and makes it so addictively readable is that Frankel peoples it beautifully with memorable characters with genuine feelings for each other, so much so that you share the narrator’s apprehension when she contemplates revealing her dark secret life to her friends and kin, whom you have grown to love. You will not be disappointed by this book.

It is one of the few books on the subject that had me cheering throughout, made me weepy in places, and left me smiling at the end.

Hats and Eyeglasses

The Rams

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The Rams

The Greatest Show on Turf. Laugh at them now, but nobody was laughing back in '99 when they paid off at 150 to 1 and won the Superbowl.

Then they would have won in 2001 when the Patriots beat them. Maybe that game should be investigated. I really think it should be. If you recall how good the Rams were that year, there is no way the Patriots beat them without . . . cheating. I lived in Boston as a kid, and I was very fond of the Pats--they were my second favorite team way back when. They still are--I just wish the Rams had won that second Superbowl before the downhill slide kicked in.

My Favorite Help Site: The Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment of Gambling Addiction

Gamblers Anonymous

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The Casino

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Isn't she lovely?

The Nicholas Brothers/Best Hoofers Ever

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Go Gators!

Gator Alumni

Four Out of Four Roses

The best fiction book I have read in years!

Mr. Allen’s “All or Nothing” is the story of P and his gambling addiction. “All or Nothing” is an extremely powerful and simply told story. If I hadn’t needed sleep I would have read this in one sitting.

The character P, we’re never told anyone’s full name, is an honest man. Honest, in that he knows he’s a gambler. He knows he is addicted to gambling. He knows he lies to those around him. He doesn’t apologize for who and what he is. P allows us to see into the mind of a gambler and that the meaning of money has many interpretations.

I agreed to read “All or Nothing” because I thought it would be a basic story about a gambler. A straightforward fiction book.

I was unprepared for the emotional intensity of Mr. Allen’s writing.

I was unprepared for the stillness and soft bluntness of Mr. Allen’s writing.